Background Checks: Can Lying About Why You Left a Job Affect Your New Offer?

Hello, BGV is an essential part of employment in any company. I know someone who received an offer from a reputed organization, but when asked about the reason for leaving the previous organization, she provided a reason that was not the actual cause of her resignation. In any case, this reputed organization will inquire with the previous organization about the reason for the employee's resignation during the BGV process. My question is, will this affect her candidacy or employment in the upcoming organization? Do organizations cancel offers based solely on the reason for leaving provided? Any suggestions would be highly appreciated. Thank you.

Resigning employees need not be afraid of Background Verification (BGV) as long as the separation happens under normal circumstances. The situation of negative feedback in BGV arises if the employee was involved in a theft case or some other anti-organizational activity. Many times, if it is discovered that the employee was involved in a shady deal, companies do not order any domestic inquiry. They force the employee to submit a letter of resignation, thereby giving a cloak of normalcy. However, there could be a chance of negative remarks in the BGV.

Therefore, you may provide a little more information as to why your friend is uneasy about BGV. What are her apprehensions?

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Dear Dinesh Divekar, thank you for your reply regarding this issue. As for your question, I would like to inform you that my friend had to resign from her last organization due to health problems. However, during the HR round of the current organization, she told the HR that she was asked to resign because the project she was working on got dropped and there were no dependencies in the organization. Her main worry is whether this will affect the BGV when the HR of the current company asks the HR of her last company about the reason for her resignation. The HR of her last organization would definitely state that it was due to health issues, but she already informed the present HR that it was due to the project being dropped.

Hope this answers your question. Please provide your valuable feedback regarding this.

Thanks again, Mr. Divekar.

Background Verification (BGV) Process

Predominantly, BGV is done to check the authenticity of the information provided by the candidate. Many times, the company that provides replies to BGV questionnaires just writes "left on her volition" or "better opportunity." They may not mention the actual reason. Secondly, your friend might have left the company because of poor health. However, those grounds are not serious enough to merit negative remarks in the replies to BGV.

Negative List of Employees

Many companies maintain a "negative list" of employees who were terminated due to their anti-organization activities or activities involving moral turpitude. If the employee's name does not appear on this list, then companies do not concern themselves with the BGV of others. They have their own activities to focus on and may not have much time to spend on employees who have already left the company.

Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar

In any case, the current company would also like to check the medical fitness of any new joiner. So, if the health issue was not of a serious nature, then even if during BGV the past company mentions it, there should not be any problem.

While I understand why a person might be concerned about mentioning unstable health to a new employee, I believe this should not be a reason to withhold information. Note that while I do not think this would affect the candidacy, it will still appear "fishy" to the new employee if the stories from both ends don't match. Moreover, if the old employee does not mention the health issues but confirms that there was no dropping of important projects, the new HR will be left wondering what exactly happened and may decide to ask the old employee for further details rather than the candidate due to her being dishonest. Anyways, I hope your friend gets the job and uses this case as a lesson learned.

Misuse of the BGV Process

First of all, HR is misusing the BGV process. The reason for leaving the organization may vary according to the situation. BGV should not be affected by the way of leaving the organization. It should be conducted to assess work behavior, performance, and any illegal cases, not the reasons for leaving.

As our behavior can vary from person to person, the same may happen in any situation. Company chemistry depends on the individuals involved.

Always do the right things in the future. Leaving or firing should not be the basis of hiring a person. The main consideration should be whether the employee you are going to hire for the position can fulfill the requirements. If yes, then go ahead.